sharing leadership between the principal, teachers and students in determining one of the most important aspects of school – set- ting the goals that determine the roadmap for increasing student achievement. Spillane (2004) writes that developing a


culture where leadership is shared or distrib- uted “involves unpacking the interdepen- dencies among leaders and followers in lead- ership practice.” What better way to do this than through setting goals based on the one area that connects everyone – curriculum. To catalyze improvements in student


learning, schools and districts focus on a variety of strategies and techniques. Moun- tains of data are reviewed, results from stan- dardized tests are analyzed, goals are set and a course for success is determined. Once this arduous process is complete, what happens to the newly created set of goals is often a mystery. Who is responsible for achieving the goals? Who knows about them and checks on their progress? For some, the task of develop- ing the goals becomes the goal itself. For oth- ers, goals provide the fuel and oxygen needed to implement instructional strategies to help students achieve success. Setting goals is a first step, not the last, in


transforming the way teaching and learn- ing occurs for students. In fact, to develop goals that are usable and accessible for all stakeholders, especially students, we need to “begin with clear statements of the in- tended learning – clear and understandable to everyone, including students” (Chappuis, Chappuis and Stiggins, 2009). We also need to ensure that goals connect with our most important stakeholders – our students.


Goal setting at multiple levels Monterey Ridge Elementary in San Diego


has embraced the use of goal setting across the school landscape. This school employs four different levels of goal setting that con- nect from school-wide to individual student goals and creates a synergy in all our work. School-wide goals serve as barometers


to periodically check the progress of the school as a whole. These goals are checked after each trimester, just like the progress re- ports students take home to share with their parents, and provide an opportunity for the school to change course, readjust priorities,


make modifications or target specific stan- dards where necessary. Grade-level goals, one level down from


school-wide goals, allow each grade to target efforts based on identified areas of growth. In the same vein, classroom-level goals allow each classroom to set targets based on an analysis of their students’ work. This also provides an opportunity for classrooms to target and calibrate within a grade how they are improving the skill levels of their respec- tive students and how this contributes to the grade- and school-level goal. Both grade- level and classroom goal setting provide an opportunity for teachers to rely on one an- other, share best practices and collaborate on planning next steps and lessons.


vested in the success of the school as a whole. This level of goal setting also ensures that all staff share ownership for the learning and for determining results. Goal setting is one of the most impor-


tant strategies and routines that can be put in place to fundamentally shape the practice of leadership in a school and more pointedly achieve results. James Spillane points out the fundamental importance of sharing owner- ship over the critical leadership aspects of the school. “From a distributed perspective, tools and organizational routines along with other aspects of the situation are not simple accessories that allow leaders to practice more effectively or efficiently” (Spillane, 2004), but are also a way of making a school


Setting goals is a first step, not the last, in transforming the way teaching and learning occurs for students.


Finally, individual students set goals


based on their own areas of need. At this level, and that of the classroom, students are intimately involved in helping determine what the needs of their class are and what they are personally striving to achieve. This process ensures the goals set across the school are tangible and known to the students. These four levels of goal setting are pow-


erful tools when used to connect the work of improving student achievement across the school. First, goal setting ties the school to- gether by ensuring that the responsibility for learning does not belong to just one teacher, but rather to all teachers. This is synony- mous to building a culture of distributive leadership whereby all staff are engaged in making important decisions (Spillane, 2006; Spillane, Diamond and Jita, 2003; Spillane, Halverson and Diamond, 2004). It also en- sures that the ownership for successes or set- backs belongs to the entire staff. Having goals that are shared and revisited


as a whole staff ensures that everyone is not only part of the results discussion, but in-


more successful and developing a strong connection between stakeholders.


Goal setting saves time On the surface, developing multiple


levels of goals may appear to be a laborious process. One of the most common reasons given for not creating goals, ignoring them once completed, or not engaging students in the process, is a lack of time. Finding ways to help develop the ability of both staff and students to focus on what is important to teach and learn, however, is one of the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal. Goal setting is about setting priorities and


zeroing in on teaching and learning priori- ties. When viewed in this vein, goal setting is actually a time-saving tool that helps place everyone in charge of their own learning. Take, for example, this discussion that


occurred in a second grade classroom: The teacher sat with the student and reviewed the results of his current MAP (Measures of Academic Performance) test. The conversa- tion begins by asking the student what areas


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